Sew Smart & Savvy
Inner Thigh Alterations
I have a fairly large waist, so when the waist fits, the legs are always too big in the back and sides. How do I alter for this?
Linda A. Shellabarger
VIA E-MAIL
This is really a simple alteration to do. By removing excess fabric along the inner leg, you'll still have the fullness you need in the waist. Just follow the steps below.
Rip open the seam on the inside legs above the knee and continue along the center back seam about halfway to the waist. Re-pin the legs together, removing fabric from the back leg as needed (Figure 1). What you are actually doing is making the rise shorter in the back.
If your legs are thin and your tummy is flat, you may need to remove fabric from the front of the leg, too, to make the rise fit properly in the front (Figure 2).
Depending on how much excess fabric is in the seat of the pant, you may need to remove fabric from the back rise. Start at the back center waist, and pin on the outside of the pant excess fabric. Flip the pant to the wrong side, and using tailor's chalk, transfer the pin markings to the back seam. You'll probably end up with a new seam shaped similar to Figure 3. Re-seam the center back seam and legs, and you'll have a much better-fitting pant.
